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4 negatives for the NY Giants to overcome following the bye week

By Zak Musso

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 30: Richie James #80 of the New York Giants fumbles the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at Lumen Field on October 30, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 30: Richie James #80 of the New York Giants fumbles the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at Lumen Field on October 30, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /
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Oct 23, 2022; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; New York Giants linebacker Tae Crowder (48) reacts after a play against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second quarter at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 23, 2022; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; New York Giants linebacker Tae Crowder (48) reacts after a play against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second quarter at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Rough inside linebacker play

The Giants defense is the main reason this team has started 6-2, giving up just 19.6 points per contest, tied for eighth best in the NFL. All of the Giants defensive units have been tremendous except one: the inside linebackers.

The Giants current inside linebacker rotation is comprised of Jaylon Smith and Tae Crowder playing the majority of the snaps, with rookie Micah McFadden sprinkled in. PFF currently ranks Smith as the 55th best inside linebacker out of 80 qualified players. Not surprisingly, Crowder, who has turned into a missed tackle machine, is worst inside linebacker, ranked dead last.

Crowder and Smith need to stop missing tackles quickly and start making big impact plays. If Smith and Crowder don’t fix their issues quickly, Martindale will forced to deploy looks that feature more defensive backs or thrust the rookie McFadden into more action – we saw plenty of him going up against the Seahawks.

The defense has been elite, and if they can get anything positive out of those inside linebackers, the Giants D will be even more tough to score on. We’ll see how things go.

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